Advisories return at 2 Buckeye Lake beaches - Lancaster Eagle Gazette
BUCKEYE LAKE -- The algae-related health warnings have returned to two of Buckeye Lake's beaches.
The Ohio departments of Health and Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency combined to issue new public health advisories this week for Brooks and Fairfield beaches.
Crystal Beach in Licking County is not part of the advisory and has had no warnings since an algal bloom advisory ended June 30.
The advisories return Brooks and Fairfield beaches to active status. The most recent Brooks Beach advisory had expired July 22, while Fairfield Beach has not had an active advisory since June 30.
A public health advisory is posted when tests conclude microcystin levels are above 6 parts per billion. Swimming and wading are not recommended, water should not be swallowed and surface scum should be avoided, according to the advisory.
Merv Bartholow, former president of the Buckeye Lake Area Civic Association, said the lake has probably not changed much for years, but the threshold to post an advisory has changed.
"The toxins have always been well below the World Health Organization levels of 20 parts per billion," he said.
"This year, with a new governor and department heads, and the Department of Health involved, they decided the level should be 6 parts per billion."
Brooks Beach, which reached 10.4 parts per billion on June 27 and 9.4 on July 5, had remained below 5.0 until the most recent result, an 8.1 on Aug. 29.
Fairfield Beach, had remained well below 6 parts per billion all summer, then reached 5.3 on Aug. 15 and 6.3 on Aug. 29, forcing the latest advisory.
Crystal Beach has been the lowest of the three most of the summer, with its Aug. 29 test the highest at 3.05.
The annual Leaders on the Lake event will be at noon Thursday on the north shore, in the village of Buckeye Lake.
Invited to the event are county commissioners from Licking, Fairfield and Perry counties, trustees from four area townships and mayors from four local villages, as well as state senators and representatives for the area.
The leaders will be updated on activities and issues affecting the lake.
03 Sep, 2011--
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